IC Ignitor WIP

Yeah, sorry.

The point of the latter part of this conversation is... There have been huge technological changes from when the original TCI was designed until now, and if you were to design an ignition module today, it would be microprocessor controlled. There are lots of choices for cheap, capable devices today that were not available then.

However, none of this should stop Macktion from his continued pursuit of understanding and exploration of the original module.

 

Would you mind sharing the schematic, I would like to look it over just as a learning experience of the 80's technology.

 

Still working on the Die, but this is what ive got so far for the board in the box

 

I will take a look and see what I can find. Been so long, I don't remember how complete (or incomplete) it was.

Let me see what I got.

 

Macktion, Nice work. Let me fill in a couple blanks, etc...

On the ceramic sub-board, everything you have identified as a capacitor, is correct. They are all what are known as "ceramic" capacitors.

However, the two things you have labeled as "varactor diodes" are also capacitors, even though they appear quite different. They are "electrolytic caps", and are probably "tantalum" capacitors. The reason they seem similar to diodes (with the polarity band) is that electrolytic caps like that, are in fact, polarized. The band probably indicates the positive terminal. One of them is a .47 uF cap, and the other is a .1 uF. Both of them carry a 35 volt maximum rating.

The L5 devices on that same side are most likely transistors. Sometimes they put diodes in that same package, and judging by the way the A3 and 62 devices are connected, I suspect that's what they are. They put little codes on them like A3 because the package was too small to put the real part number.

And on the other side of that ceramic board are a bunch of laser trimmed resistors. They silk screen the black rectangles down and then use a laser to burn across them until they reach the desired resistance. The more they burn away, the higher the resistance.

 

I did inquire of the Jotrin folk, and in spite of the quantity that they have listed as being in stock, according to their rep it is "unavailable from us". It might be the language barrier, but the wording makes it sound like it wont be available from them in the future either.

Splendid! I am not surprised at all that I mixed those up. Ill fix those for the future versions though.
(I kinda wish I could delete the old images though, since they might give someone the wrong idea).
I am looking forward to seeing your schematic, if you are able to find it.

 

I should ask my B in Law where he gets his printed circuit boards made ( he makes them for our chocolate machines runtime programs, but, who knows, ) ...I know there's a LOT more to it than just that, but........

 

hey, its not like it could hurt.

So, reached out to a few other sources, and still no data sheet (surprise surprise, but a guys gotta try). Havent made much progress on the die over the last week, but I am looking forward to some open time this week to dedicate to finishing it off.

 

OK, so some progress on the Die. Still working on it, but its been crazy at the lab lately, and I wanted to post some of the work

I am SOOOOO glad that I took that Xray, because it was very useful in orienting the chip as well as seeing which... nodes(?) go to which pins, and in turn to which pins on the board.

 

Call them "Pads" or "Bonding pads". They use thin gold wires ultrasonically (I think) welded at each end to connect the leadframe to the bonding pads on the die.

The bonding machine works similarly to a microscopic sewing machine. Stitching it's way around the die. One end - other end - cutoff. One end - other end - cutoff. One end - other end - cutoff.

Again, This may never lead to anything really useful in the long run, but I love it anyway. So, is the place you work at involved in microelectronics?

 

Oh, and I haven't forgotten to look for what schematics I have. It's just that I hurt myself a little bit ago and priorities are elsewhere.

 

Not quite; my laboratory is dedicated to analyzing water samples.
nothing glamorous like pharmaceuticals, but in the Western US where water is always scarce, it is fulfilling work.

Hope you get on the mend soon!

 

playing with the chain saw?

 

Haha!! Yes, as a matter of fact! I spent the afternoon working with the chainsaw, and then (already hurtin' from the day's work), went and played sports that evening. Messed up one of my shoulders somewhere along the way.

MRI as soon as they can get me in.

I mean, I've got time to go hunt for schematics now (as my life has been put mostly on hold and I've got nothing better to do anyway), but I just can't concentrate long enough to look.